The reason I am in love with this festival is because, unlike most Indian festivals it is devoid of all mythological and historical associations. Its sole purpose is to promote tourism at this eco-friendly destination. The festival is hosted by the capital city of Port Blair but 10 days is more than enough to seek out all the major and not-so-major tourist attractions, in and around.

1. Celebrate India – Island Tourism Festival with Yatra.com
Now that your New Year Bash’s hangover is finally fading and the severe winter chill is starting
to make itself felt again, it is time to continue the party somewhere warm. Down south, a little
east, across the sea you will can find natures’ true bounty, the magnificent islands of Andaman
and Nicobar. But, why would you want to head out so far in the middle of nowhere? Well,
because that’s where the annual Islands Tourism Festival is taking place and that too for a good
10 days.
The reason I am in love with this festival is because, unlike most Indian festivals it is devoid of
all mythological and historical associations. Its sole purpose is to promote tourism at this eco-
friendly destination. The festival is hosted by the capital city of Port Blair but 10 days is more
than enough to seek out all the major and
not-so-major tourist attractions, in and
around.
You know how much I dig the local
cultural stuff. I was totally into the native
dance, drama, music, arts & crafts
exhibitions and water sports too but
seriously those were not the attractions I
went seeking (although I accept that
without these, the festival would
definitely be incomplete) all the way
across the sea. I mean why take all this trouble when I have already done all this in similar
festivals in Goa and Orissa? No, my real motivation was the rich marine life, fauna, flora and
most of all the opportunity to see it all while scuba diving. That’s right people, if you are going
all that distance and not indulging in scuba diving or at least snorkeling (i.e. if you don’t have
the heart for the former) then making this trip is useless (sorry for the exaggeration). I strongly
recommend it because down there under the waves exists a whole another magical world that,
trust me, you won’t want to miss.
For both these activities you will need to head out to the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National
Park. This place is nature lovers’ absolute delight and covers several islands where you can
enjoy the above mentioned activities as well as get a chance to surf the waves (provided you
know how to. I don’t. L)

2. If you are still skeptical regarding this whole underwater thing then don’t worry, the trip won’t
be a total washout because plenty of other activities and attractions are organized for all kinds
of tourists. Nicobari Hodi race is at the top of the list of these attractions followed by Magic and
Puppet shows along with smaller Canoe Races.
Another fact that really caught my attention was the existence of such tribes (mainly in the
Nicobar Islands) that have no connection with the civilized world till date. It is a very rare
chance of coming across one because they stay hidden in the jungles, access to which is
extremely difficult. However, experiencing that culture is not that difficult because plenty of
tribes did come in contact with the civilized world and brought along with them all the mystery
of their tribal cultures. The best way to experience this would be to witness one of the tribal
dance and musical performances during the festival. It’s a unique and one-of-a-kind experience
that I am sure I will remember for a very long time to come.
Well, if you are still unconvinced about making that trip to Andaman & Nicobar I guess I’ll just
have to write another blog. Just kidding! On a serious note, I personally feel it is a great way to
kick off the New Year, breathing the fresh air under the starry skies, in the middle of nowhere.
How is that for painting a picture?
This is Joy signing off,
Wishing all of you a Safe and Happy Travel.
Ciao
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